For Generations
by Suzie's Q
Summary: Lily's acting very strange after finding a certain piece of jewelry among James' things.


Don't own, happy reading.

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**For Generations  
**Summary: Lily's acting very strange after finding a certain piece of jewelry among James' things.  
Pairing: J/L  
Word Count: 1,596  
Rating: K

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James gets up to put his plate in the sink, and Lily jumps again, staring up at him like a doe in the headlights. Which, she thinks to herself, is pretty accurate. He throws her a bemused, quizzical look, taking her plate too.

"Everything okay?" he prods, for about the millionth time this week, raising one eyebrow.

She nods, smiling up at him tiredly. That's not strictly true. She's been practically jumping out of her seat all day. All week, as a matter of fact. She's been careful not to go looking for anything, taking clothes – especially James' clothes – only from the top of the drawer pile, so she wouldn't have to dig around. Every time he's moved towards her, or gotten suddenly to his feet, she's nearly jumped a mile.

"I'm fine," she says, waving her hand. "Just a bit on edge, that's all."

He nods understandingly. He's able to tell that she's jumpy, obviously, but he's probably put it down to that attack on Muggles miles from here last week, or the fact that there are two Order members currently in St. Mungo's after being maimed. And it's quite strange, but she isn't set on edge because of that. Of course she's worried, and of course she's upset – but the reason she's so jittery is entirely different. It's strange, in the world they live in, and it's oddly happy, and it sends butterflies swooping in flight in her stomach.

But she is very, _very _anxious.

"You've been very quiet," James remarks as he sits down again, reaching for her hand – her _left _hand – and holding it tightly in both of his.

She stares at him, her mouth dropping open. Someone has punched the words out of her right from her stomach, and she stutters for a second, like a fish or something, until James furrows his brow, looking at her like she's starting making pig noises. She takes a deep breath – or she tries at least, but it's too shaky and she has a lot of trouble. Now James looks downright concerned.

"Lily, is there someth-"

"I found a ring." She blurts it out, and then clamps both her hands over her mouth, appalled. James blinks, and he's gone very quiet, the way she's been all week any time he's even spoken to her. When he says nothing, she slowly lowers her hands and launches into an apologetic, tentative explanation. "I – well, me and Hattie were looking for a shirt that I'd borrowed from her and she needed it back, and I – I thought that… you were going to … ask me…" She trailed off at the end, biting her lip.

"Oh. Oh, right. I see." James clears his throat, and his fingers slip away from hers so he can rake his fingers through his hair, his nose wrinkling.

"Well, I just – I thought that – and I've been so nervous because I didn't – I didn't know what I'd do," she stammered, her words tumbling over themselves in their haste to get out, and she starts wringing her hands together. "It's not like I wanted you to – but it isn't like I – it's not that I _don't _want you to – it was just a shock, and I didn't – and I kept thinking all week that you'd – Oh, God!" she whines, burying her face in her hands, feeling the heat on her fingers.

James laughs – he _laughs – _and Lily's about to whine and tell him that's not helping, but he pries her hands from her face, holding her wrists firmly.

"Lily," he says slowly, and waits until she looks up at him. "You found the ring because my parents gave it to me."

She blinks once, twice, three times, and stares until the features of his face go out of focus, except for a mop of black and dark rectangles where his glasses are, framing warm pools of brown and green and gold. "Your … parents proposed to you?" she draws out, and he laughs again, his cheeks dimpling.

"No," he chuckles, shaking his head and grinning at her fondly. "You idiot." She shrugs, and manages a small smile, deflating a little. "It's just … er –" he frowns, and then shakes his head, searching for words. "It's just that that ring has been in my family for generations, that's all. It's sort of a tradition," he says, with a sheepish smile, "For the Potter men to propose with that ring. And it seems to work, you know," he adds as an afterthought. "I mean, no one's ever said no, so far at least, as far as my knowledge goes…"

Lily can feel her whole body relaxing while he speaks, but once she's not so tense anymore and calmed so much she feels like she's melting, something else replaces the tight knot of anxiety that's been gripping her stomach for the last few days. "Oh," she says, a little hoarsely, while she frowns. "So… They gave it to you."

"That's right," he affirms, nodding firmly.

"So you… weren't going to propose me," she states, and her frown deepens. Now she realizes what that feeling is. It's bitter, sour disappointment.

He bites his lip, shrugging his shoulders a little bit, and his eyes cast down to his shoes. "I – well, actually," he croaks, ruffling up his hair again and coughing nervously. "I kind of had an evening planned."

Lily's hands drop into her lap, and her jaw drops again, and her heart is doing somersaults in her chest and beating so hard it feels like it's going to burst through. "You – you did?" she chokes out.

"Well, yeah," he says, a little indignantly, pouting like a child. "Next week, actually, I planned to. Just to, er- give myself a little time."

Lily's quiet for a second or two and then smiles at him softly, reaching for his hand again and giving it a gentle squeeze, feeling like something has exploded in her chest and made her heart swell. "In case I said no?" she says with an easy laugh, her eyes glued on him.

He blinks up at her and shrugs his shoulders, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a rueful smile. "Something like that."

"Oh."

"So what did you do when you found it?" he asks, and he seems normal, casual even. He leans back after kissing her head, stretching his legs out in front of him and stretching his arms above his head. Lily's face is bright red and flaming and appallingly apologetic. "Hattie found it. I just freaked out and told her to put it back and … –er, ran out of the room," she mutters, rubbing the back of her neck.

He sighs, smiling at her and trying not to laugh. "So… Do you want to see it?"

There's a pause, and it draws out for an unbearably long time while Lily ponders this. Eventually she nods, swallowing. "I – yeah. Yeah, I'd love to."

Her eyes go wide when he takes it out of his pocket, and a million questions burst into her head as if someone's let a swarm of bees loose in there, but she just takes it wordlessly. It's light, and the box fits in her hand, and yet it feels so big, so heavy. She smiles up at him hesitantly and opens the box, careful to keep her face straight.

Inside is a thin silver band, and she believes him – it _does _look old-fashioned – and she stares at it for a few seconds. She thinks that it's possibly goblin-made, and it looks exquisitely fashioned. What's more, it isn't half as extravagant as she imagined. It's quite simple actually – although that doesn't change the fact that it looks ludicrously expensive. The diamond is a square, clawed in silver to hold it in place, and around the sides, the band of silver is split and winds around each other, embedded in smaller, elegant jewels and graceful engravings. It's old, but it's so bright it looks brand new, nearly blinding. Definitely goblin-made, it hasn't dulled a single bit.

"It's beautiful… How old is it?" she inquires, running the pad of her finger over the side so she could feel the delicate, intricate details of the ring.

He shrugs, shaking his head. "Not sure. A good few generations at least. Couple of hundred years."

"Wow," she whispers, staring at it, almost entranced. James is quiet, simply watching her and waiting while she examines the ring. She thinks of all the generations this has been in James' family, the posh, upper class purebloods who've worn this ring. It seems too grand for her, in all honestly, though if she mentions that to James, he'd probably explode. But it feels strange, and it feels even heavier now, and it makes Lily feel small. But James – James, and his parents – they didn't have a qualm about giving this ring to her. Like it belongs to her. And in that moment, she knows that it does.

"Do you think it'll fit me?" she murmurs, still staring down at it.

James doesn't say anything – and the silence seems even quieter, somehow – and just blinks at her for at least a minute. Then he smiles brilliantly, his eyes gleaming brighter than this ring, and he takes it from her gently, holding her hand in his.

"Well, do you want to find out?"

She nods, beaming at him, and holds out her hand, which is surprisingly steady. He gazes at her for a minute or two, and then abruptly opens his mouth. "Lily, will –"

"Yes."

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Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated.


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